Sixteen Former Admirals Competing in NHL's Conference Finals

NORFOLK, Va. – Sixteen former Admirals will compete in the Conference Finals of the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup Playoffs – including 13 members of the Admirals' NHL parent club, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Bergeron, Downie, Hall, Jones, Lundin, Ritola and Tyrell have each played for the Lightning in the playoffs so far. Downie leads the Lightning in the playoffs with a +9 plus/minus rating and 20 penalty minutes, is tied for the team lead with ten assists and is tied for second on the team with 12 points.

After erasing a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, the #5 seeded Lightning swept the top-seeded Washington Capitals in four games during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Tampa Bay will now play the #3 seeded Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals for the right to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Game One of Tampa Bay's series against Boston is tomorrow night at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. A complete series schedule can be found at tampabaylightning.com.

Facing the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals will be Shawn Thornton of the Boston Bruins. Thornton, who ranks fourth in games played and first in penalty minutes in AHL Admirals history, has registered one assist with the Bruins in 11 playoff games.

In the Western Conference Finals, the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks will square off against the #2 seeded San Jose Sharks. Former Admirals defenseman Kent Huskins is on the San Jose roster. In addition, San Jose Sharks Assistant Coach Trent Yawney was head coach of the Norfolk Admirals from 2000-01 to 2004-05. The Sharks defeated the Detroit Red Wings in Game Seven of their Western Conference Semifinals series last night to advance to the Western Conference Finals.